Sympathy
by Kitty le Fay
Summary: Everyone needs a little bit of sympathy now and then.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I know I've been on a bit of a hiatus, but I have an excuse. My old computer crashed and I've had to do without writing for a month, which was hell on earth, but miracle of miracles; I have a new computer! Yay!**

**Anyhow, this is something I've had in my head for a while now and writing it I can't help but notice how many of my Lestrolly fics basically consist of the two of them having sex...not that I've had any complaints.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>"Tom?" she calls from the door. "I'm going out with the girls. I'll see you in the morning."<p>

"Okay," he calls from the sofa, watching the game with a beer in hand. "Have fun!"

"Thanks. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Molly sighs as she adjusts her jacket and heads out the door. When she was younger and pictured her future with someone she never expected a declaration of love to seem so empty. She always thought she'd be happy just to know that someone loved her, but if she _were_ happy she'd be cuddling up with her fiancé and enjoying the game with a glass of wine. Instead she's walking down the street, taking out her phone and dialling someone else's number.

Greg answers after the first ring as if he's been waiting all night for her.

"Hello?"

"Hi," she says. "It's me."

"I know. You okay?"

"Not really. I could use a little sympathy right now. D'you mind if I drop by?"

"Not at all," he says and she can practically hear the cheeky smile in his voice. It's a smile that makes her weak in the knees whenever she sees him. "Take a cab. I'll open up a bottle."

She smiles weakly, hangs up her phone and calls for a taxi.

On the way she feels like she's leaving a part of herself behind and is no longer the mousy pathologist with a fiancé waiting for her at home. For the night, just like all those other nights, she's an independent woman seeing the man that she's been sleeping with for the past three years.


	2. Chapter 2

Molly quickly loses herself to her thoughts as she watches the city zoom past her, resisting the urge to play with the ring on her finger when she thinks of how this whole thing with Greg started.

The first time they slept together came almost completely out of nowhere. After the godawful Christmas party and the horrible things that Sherlock said about her gift and appearance, Greg was kind enough to offer her a drink and a shoulder to cry on, which eventually lead to coffee at her place, where the venting became more emotional when the subject of his wife's affair came up. At some point things became awkwardly silent and it was almost painful. To this day she doesn't know why she did it or how she was even able to buck up the courage to do it, but she placed her cup down, moved to sit astride him and kissed him passionately.

"Molls," he said between kisses. "What are you doing?"

"Let's call it 'sympathy,'" she said, already feeling him swell between her legs. "I think we could both use some, don't you?"

After a long moment of thought, Greg nodded and kissed her and the rest of the night was spent in her place, where he made her come several times in one night. There was nothing romantic about it and it wasn't anything like a first time. It was rough and heated and left both of them covered in bruises and bite marks that would take days to heal. When it was over they both knew that it would happen again and it did.

Eventually, it became something of a pattern between the two of them to go to each other in a time of need, have sex and then move on as if nothing had happened. They never really put a label to it other than "sympathy."

Tonight she needs it more than ever if she's going to do what she's been planning all week.


	3. Chapter 3

After paying the taxi driver and making her way to the door of Greg's flat, Molly has to compose herself in order to bring herself to knock. The last time she was here it was after her last argument with Tom, which was not too long after their engagement. She can't even remember what the argument was about, it was so stupid, but she does remember the empty feeling in her gut when she'd stormed out to be alone, though she knew that she couldn't be alone that night. She needed to feel close to someone who wasn't Tom, so she somehow made it through the rain, knocked on this very door and when Greg had opened it they were all over each other. It took her ages to get rid of the bruise he left on her inner thigh and for once she was glad that Tom rarely went down on her.

The memory of it makes her shudder, both in pleasure and disgust with herself. Sometimes she hates herself for doing this to someone who loves her, but it's almost become an addiction to her and it's stronger than any drug she's aware of. She doesn't even know what it is about him apart from the fact that he satisfies her more than her fiancé ever has.

Of course, she can have sex with Tom whenever she likes and he's perfectly capable of bringing her to climax as long as she touches herself while he's inside her, but on the other hand he's almost too careful with her and often passes out within mere minutes after coming. Greg is more skilled and passionate, almost dominant at times, though he doesn't dare refuse to her dominant moments. He kisses her as if he's branding her, holds her as if he's protecting her and can go on for ages after he comes.

Just thinking about it makes her feel wet and it almost feels like a punishment, though she knows that the real punishment will have to wait until tomorrow.

For now, all she has to do is knock on the door. She does and he opens no more or less than three seconds later. He greets her with _that_ smile and it almost makes her forget why she's here.

"Hi," he says.

"Hello."


	4. Chapter 4

Within seconds she's pressed against the wall and she can feel how hard he is when he kisses her. Already her coat is on the ground and his hand is cupping her breast with a harsh touch that can leave bruises on her body. His mouth is hot on her neck and almost feels like it's burning into her skin. When she feels his hand grabbing her arse his grip is almost painful, but she loves it and he knows that she loves it.

Before she knows it, they're half-naked and making their way to the bedroom, leaving behind a trail of clothes. As soon as he pushes her to the bed his mouth is all over her breasts while he works her jeans open. Once she's naked his face is buried in her cunt, making her come twice with his thick fingers and skilled tongue.

He kisses her, letting her taste herself on his lips. When she's ready for more she strokes his cock until he moves to hover over her and flip her onto her stomach. She can feel his rough kisses warming the back of her neck making their way down her spine and stopping at a cheek. She can feel the warmth of his body on her back while his fingertips start to bruise her hips as he takes her from behind. As he fucks her she's touching herself to the filthy things he whispers in her ear.

Tom never does this to her. He isn't the experimental type when it comes to sex and his attempts at dirty talk have made her cringe. She shakes her head of the thought and listens to the man whispering in her ear between elicit moans.

"God, you feel so good, Molly!" he growls. "You're so fucking tight! Are you close, Molls? Yeah? I want to feel you come on my cock. Come for me, Molly, fucking come for me!"

She does and he isn't far off. Their cries could shatter glass.


	5. Chapter 5

Molly sighs lazily as Greg lays behind her, peppering her shoulder with soft kisses. They rarely ever speak when they're like this unless things are very bad and things, right now, are very bad.

"Are you happy?" she asks.

She hears a chuckle behind her as he continues to kiss her shoulder. "Right now I'm ecstatic."

But she turns around and looks him in the eye. "I mean it, Greg. Are you happy?"

He shrugs. "I suppose. I'm fifty-one, divorced and I'm not as dishy as I used to be, but on the other hand I love my job, I live in a great city, I've got a daughter that I love and I have amazing friends like you, some stranger than others. Why? Are _you_ happy?"

"I'm not sure."

Greg props his head upon his elbow and looks her straight in the eye as he holds her hand in a firm but warm grip. "What's up?" he asks.

She takes a deep breath. "I had a bit of a pregnancy scare."

This news surprises him. "I thought you were on the pill."

"I am, but accidents happen. Anyway, I felt ill some time last week and I took the day off work and took a test. It was negative but…oh, it's stupid!"

"Tell me."

"Well…while I was taking that test, I was hoping that it would have been yours."

His eyebrows raise. "Mine? Molls, I had the snip ages ago."

"I know that. I knew it then, but I still couldn't help but hope, but I didn't know why until Tom came home from work."

His face softens as he begins to understand. "You don't love him."

It's more of a statement than a question. Molly shakes her head. Greg smiles weakly and pulls her in for a closer hold, kissing her forehead as he caresses her cheek. The sound of his heartbeat and soft words comfort her, but it's the way he holds her that makes her smile. She can't tell if it's because he's a copper or because he's her friend, but she feels safe.

"So what're you gonna do, then?"

Molly thinks of this for a long moment, but then breathes deeply. It's time she's stopped thinking and started doing and the first step was announcing.

"I'm going to leave him."


	6. Chapter 6

When Molly finally has the courage to look Greg in the eye after what she's just said, there's a surprising amount of understanding in the way he looks at her.

"What do you think?" she asks.

He just smiles and moves a lock of hair from her face, stroking her cheek as he simply tells her: "I think you need to do what's best for you."

"You don't think I'm being harsh to him?"

"I think you've _been_ harsh by pretending to love him for so long, believe me I've been there, but I also think that you're doing the right thing by being honest with him."

Molly smiles and holds Greg's hand, lacing their fingers together. "I suppose you're right. All I've ever wanted was to be happy, but I'll never be happy by pretending, will I?"

He shakes his head and kisses her deeply. She sighs and rests her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. For the first time in ages she feels at ease. That's the funny thing about honesty; it isn't the safest or happiest trait, but the relief it brings feels like the weight of the world being lifted.

"So," he says. "D'you think you'll need a little _sympathy_ after you've told him?"

She chuckles lightly and playfully kisses his chest. "No," she says. "I don't think so."

She looks up to find him dramatically pouting, which at least makes her laugh.

"I think," she continues, "that once it's done I'll need to give _myself_ some sympathy for once. I'll want to take some time to myself, maybe take a week off and go somewhere on my own so I can cool off. After that, I might need to take a couple of weeks to recover before I can have dinner with you."

His lips curl into a mischievous smirk. "Are you asking me out, Dr. Hooper?"

"Maybe I am, DI Lestrade. Let's say…Argyll Arms some time in October?"

"It's a date."


	7. Chapter 7

For the first time in ages, Molly wakes up smiling. She can't even tell why, as she's been woken up in the middle of the night by Greg's soft snoring and a text from Tom asking her where she is. Somehow, she feels a sense of euphoric ease filling her body with the most incredible warmth. She doesn't even care if that warmth is actually coming from Greg's body.

He looks so peaceful when he sleeps and she can't help but grin at the reason why. Barely three hours ago she'd kissed him before moving to sit astride him, taking a hold of his cock and pulling it into her. As she rode him he could not stop smiling, let alone take his hands off her breasts. They didn't normally laugh or smile that much when they fucked, but when they did it felt wonderful. The whole room seemed to shake when they came together.

Careful not to wake him, she quietly slips from his embrace and gathers her clothes. Once she's dressed and has her things, she sits by his side for a moment and kisses him on the cheek. He stirs a little and there's a smile playing at his lips. She figures he must be having a good dream and the thought that the dream is about her makes her smile.

When she leaves the flat and calls for a taxi and texts Tom to say that she's on her way home, her smile could light up the city even in such a dark hour.

Tomorrow she'll sit Tom down to tell him that she can't marry him and she knows that it will hurt for both of them, but time will pass and eventually they'll find someone else. A year from now she'll be having dinner with Greg and as for Tom, maybe she'll never know. Maybe he'll find someone else, get married and have beautiful children. Maybe he'll spend every day for the rest of his life at the pub telling everyone about the one that got away. Who knows? At the very least she hopes he'll be happy.

When she gets home, Tom is in bed half-asleep. It's only when she's tucked into bed that he wakes up.

"Hey," he murmurs. "You're back. D'you have fun?"

She smiles to herself. "Yes," she says. "Yes, I did."


End file.
